FBI alert over Barbie Video Girl causes child porn panic

The new Barbie Video Girl, with its built-in camera and LCD on the back, is …

A new Barbie doll that comes with a built-in camera could be used by predators to create child porn, the Federal Bureau of Investigation has warned. The Barbie Video Girl has been available in stores since July, but the FBI sent out a "Cyber Crime Alert" (PDF) about the doll to its Sacramento Field Office last week, and it was leaked to the public on Monday.

The doll's press materials claim that "unsuspecting subjects won't know that Barbie is watching their every move." Indeed, the camera is apparently disguised as a necklace around Barbie's neck. Her legs store the batteries and there's a tiny LCD on the back along with the controls. Videos can be transferred via mini-USB cable (don't tell me where you plug that in) and they don't require any proprietary software to view or edit. Aside from the fact that it's hidden inside a doll, the whole setup looks very Flip-like.

The document itself is unclassified, so the media leak was probably inevitable. Since Monday morning, concerned adults have told several news outlets that they are avoiding the toy, and (of course) there's now a Facebook group calling for a boycott.

Mattel, needless to say, is in emergency mode in response to the sudden outrage. "The FBI is not reporting that anything has happened," Mattel told Reuters in a statement. "Steve Dupre from the FBI Sacramento field office has confirmed there have been no incidents of this doll being used as anything other than its intent."

The FBI agreed, issuing its own statement saying that the alert was merely to draw law enforcement's attention to the doll "like any other video-capable equipment."

Jacqui Cheng
Jacqui is an Editor at Large at Ars Technica, where she has spent the last eight years writing about Apple culture, gadgets, social networking, privacy, and more. Emailjacqui@arstechnica.com//Twitter@eJacqui

I recall some years ago there was a camera-enabled teddybear that was marketed at parents who were going to leave their children with a babysitter, presumably to ensure that if anything untoward happened, it would be documented. Pity Mattel didn't pick up on that bit of marketing to neatly flip the impression 'round.

Just out of curiosity, what is the intended purpose of this device? Any time I've ever seen hidden video cameras discussed, it's either to spy on someone for a legitimate reason (nanny cam), or to spy on someone to see them naked. I can see how this doll could fit either of those, but I doubt Mattel had that in mind!

Just out of curiosity, what is the intended purpose of this device? Any time I've ever seen hidden video cameras discussed, it's either to spy on someone for a legitimate reason (nanny cam), or to spy on someone to see them naked. I can see how this doll could fit either of those, but I doubt Mattel had that in mind!

I doubt it's meant to be a "hidden camera", and I'm sure the kids would be a lot more likely than adults to know it's there, given that's the entire point of it. I'm sure it's meant to be more like those cameras you stick on your cat to see what they get up to, except for your Barbie.

This kind of thing is why I think every company that sells a product should employ someone who regularly visits 4Chan (not because of 4Chan specifically, but that type of person) to raise the red flag when the old people don't see the nefarious uses or unintentional dirtiness of their products

I had a discussion with my aunt nearly a month ago over this doll. She, moderately conservative, was much less worried about child pornography and more about the inherent creepiness of it because she could barely tell the difference. She was probably more worried about herself getting spied on by her girls than Creepy McMolstyson spying on her children. But I don't understand how this is any more potentially threatening than, oh, a video camera. The controls are equipped to the doll itself, not tirelessly transferred to some computer. Maybe you could hook it up to a wireless usb repeater but you could do that with a much cheaper spy cam that's much less likely to be noticed anyway. Or do all Barbies come equipped with lcd screens these days? More FUD imo.

@Penforhire - I doubt any woman old enough to have sex with you would want a Barbie doll for anything other than to give it to their children if they have any, and I don't think that would do you any good.

I do think having a hidden camera in a children's toy is far too dangerous. Children young enough to enjoy playing with Barbies certainly don't know enough about right and wrong for it to make too much sense.

I'm with the FBI on this one. Certainly no need to be panicking, but I'd question why Mattel ever thought this was a good idea - or indeed, why they ever came up with the idea. Who needs a camera in their Barbie doll anyway?

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@Penforhire - I doubt any woman old enough to have sex with you would want a Barbie doll for anything other than to give it to their children if they have any, and I don't think that would do you any good.

This kind of thing is why I think every company that sells a product should employ someone who regularly visits 4Chan (not because of 4Chan specifically, but that type of person) to raise the red flag when the old people don't see the nefarious uses or unintentional dirtiness of their products

Someone I know who works for a gov't agency had much the same sentiment the other week, but in relation to acronyms spelling out...unfortunate things.

I'm with the FBI on this one. Certainly no need to be panicking, but I'd question why Mattel ever thought this was a good idea - or indeed, why they ever came up with the idea. Who needs a camera in their Barbie doll anyway?

Agreed. I'd be much more comfortable giving children a Flip or similar video camera with Barbie decorations than a Barbie with a hidden camera. At least if it's a camera it's much harder to spy on someone.

I'm with the FBI on this one. Certainly no need to be panicking, but I'd question why Mattel ever thought this was a good idea - or indeed, why they ever came up with the idea. Who needs a camera in their Barbie doll anyway?

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Quote:

@Penforhire - I doubt any woman old enough to have sex with you would want a Barbie doll for anything other than to give it to their children if they have any, and I don't think that would do you any good.

You'd be surprised.

I wouldn't be surprised if they kept Barbie dolls they got when they were younger around for comfort or any other reason adults keep childhood toys around, but for a guy of the age to be reading this site to give them one, it would be really creepy.

I'm with the FBI on this one. Certainly no need to be panicking, but I'd question why Mattel ever thought this was a good idea - or indeed, why they ever came up with the idea. Who needs a camera in their Barbie doll anyway?

The FBI provokes a panic over a toy camera that requires a USB connection to transfer pictures, and yet they indicted no one when a school system was caught spying on its students at home through laptop webcams.

I'm baffled regarding the furor about this. If Mattel explicitly says in their marketing that this doll has a video camera built-in and it is used like just another camera, why label it as a child pornographer's tool (like some people did).

Some people are so narrow-minded these days.

Quote:

The FBI agreed issuing its own statement saying that the alert was merely to draw law enforcement's attention to the doll, ''like any other video equipment"

The FBI provokes a panic over a toy camera that requires a USB connection to transfer pictures, and yet they indicted no one when a school system was caught spying on its students at home through laptop webcams.

I'm with the FBI on this one. Certainly no need to be panicking, but I'd question why Mattel ever thought this was a good idea - or indeed, why they ever came up with the idea. Who needs a camera in their Barbie doll anyway?

I'm with the FBI on this one. Certainly no need to be panicking, but I'd question why Mattel ever thought this was a good idea - or indeed, why they ever came up with the idea. Who needs a camera in their Barbie doll anyway?

EDIT:

Quote:

@Penforhire - I doubt any woman old enough to have sex with you would want a Barbie doll for anything other than to give it to their children if they have any, and I don't think that would do you any good.

You'd be surprised.

I wouldn't be surprised if they kept Barbie dolls they got when they were younger around for comfort or any other reason adults keep childhood toys around, but for a guy of the age to be reading this site to give them one, it would be really creepy.

I don't know where you're from, but you should come to a Halloween party in New York. You'll likely see many 20 - 40 (+) women dressed in revealing kitten, fairy, witch, etc. costumes. I wouldn't be surprised if a woman said she wanted one, but I doubt many women would, as costumes are one thing to women, dolls are another, [and stuffed animals are another, of course] (as far as I know).